New Group Fights to Save Budget for Sheriff : Finances: concerned citizens launch a fervent grass-roots campaign to protest a proposed $4.8 -million reduction.

The radio ad starts with a frantic call to 911.

“Yes, I live across the street from the El Rio School District and there are about 10 teen-agers dressed like gang bangers, and they’re writing on the walls with spray paint,” the caller nervously explains.

Sorry, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department 911 dispatcher says. “We’ll send somebody as soon as we can. Right now all of our deputies are tied up on other emergencies.”

The message: Call the county supervisors and tell them not to cut the sheriff’s budget--or watch gangs and other criminals run rampant.

The ad is part of a fervent grass-roots campaign launched by a recently formed group called Citizens for a Safe Ventura County. The goal of the group--which is largely financed by the sheriff’s deputies union--is to persuade the Board of Supervisors not to go through with a proposed $4.8-million cut in the sheriff’s budget.

Within the past three weeks, the group has inundated board members with letters and phone calls. And on Tuesday, nearly 40 members spoke out at the supervisors’ weekly meeting, delaying other agenda items for several hours.

They say their push has just begun.

“Crime and violence is on the rise,” said Abbas Paymard, a Thousand Oaks reserve deputy who formed the group. “I’m on the front lines every day and we’re losing the battle to the criminals. We must keep the level of public safety the way it has been.”

Five core members are the driving force behind the group, which was formed about a month ago.

In addition to Paymard, they include Harvey Plaks, an insurance fraud investigator from Moorpark; Otto Stoll, a Thousand Oaks resident and public relations executive; Michael Child, a Thousand Oaks resident and president of an international engineering firm; and Warde Dixon, a retired restaurant owner who lives in Thousand Oaks.

The group has about 200 members and is growing, Paymard said. He said the organization, though heavily funded by the Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs Assn., includes members from all areas of the county and all professions.

“The group keeps getting larger and larger,” Paymard said. “We had a carjacking here (in Thousand Oaks) a few months back, which used to be unheard of. Every day, we’ve got a violent crime. People are scared. They cannot wait to join.”

Although the supervisors said they appreciate the input, Supervisor John K. Flynn complained that the group is becoming overzealous.

“I don’t need these kinds of tactics to convince me,” Flynn said. “I will continue to be a good supporter of law enforcement. It’s a campaign that’s rather abusive. We don’t need that kind of stuff.”

In any case, the tactics appear to be working.

At a time when the Ventura County officials are searching for ways to offset an anticipated $36-million loss in state funding, the majority of the supervisors say they will be reluctant to reduce spending on law enforcement. They expect to start making final budget decisions July 12.

Supervisor Maria VanderKolk said she would refuse to cut any money from the sheriff’s budget.

“A lot of people have gotten up and said, ‘Your number one job is law enforcement,’ ” VanderKolk said. “Well, nothing is more important to me.”

She cautioned, however, that if the supervisors opt to follow the group’s request and leave the sheriff’s budget intact, other services will suffer.

“We really are in a terrible quagmire,” VanderKolk said. “People in this group need to realize that by prioritizing law enforcement, other areas will be curtailed.

“They may not be able to go to a library anymore. They may not be able to go to a public counter of a department and get a live body helping them. Parks may close.”

But Child said he would be willing to do without the other services if it means maintaining strong law enforcement.

“If you live in an unsafe area, I wouldn’t be able to benefit from those things anyway,” he said.

Dixon added: “If it’s too dangerous to leave the house to drive to the library, what good is the library? Law enforcement is one of the basic functions of county government. Yet they are cutting our forces thinner and thinner. I don’t agree with that.”

Paymard said he got the idea to form the group after learning several months ago that the supervisors were contemplating cutting the department’s budget by 10%. He approached the Deputy Sheriffs Assn. to see if he could help.

“I asked them if they could turn me on to anyone who would be interested in joining my group,” Paymard said.

Union members set him up with a few names and numbers. They also agreed to let the group use a desk and a phone at the association’s office and donated $2,000 for the effort. Paymard said he has spent at least $5,000 of his own money to print posters and flyers and to take out advertising.

“I was amazed and thankful,” said union president David Williams. “I’ve just sat back and watched this thing grow.”

Sheriff Larry Carpenter is also helping the group inform residents about his plight by participating in the radio ad campaign.

“I believe it’s critical that the public be informed,” Carpenter said. “It’s an awareness campaign. There has been a tremendous ground swell for street safety.”

Last week, Carpenter told the supervisors in his budget presentation that with a 10% cut, he would have to end routine investigations of all but the most serious crimes, close down the jail in the east county and lay off up to 30 workers.

In all, he said he would be forced to eliminate 67 positions, including 54 deputies. He has asked the board to leave his budget unscathed.

The citizens’ group has echoed his request with the motto: “Don’t cut the sheriff’s budget one penny. Criminals don’t have budget cuts.”

Plaks added: “We decided the only way we are going to cause any change is by organizing the silent majority. We’re the people who pay the taxes. The supervisors have to listen to us.”